Shivamurthy Sharanaru: The politically influential Lingayat mutt head from Karantaka arrested for ‘raping’ schoolgirls

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It’s the story of yet another godman embroiled in a sexual assault controversy. Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, a religious leader of Karnataka’s politically influential Lingayat community, was finally arrested late on Thursday, days after allegations of rape from schoolgirls surfaced. The arrest comes following an uproar in civil society and six days after a case was filed against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Also read: Karnataka rape-accused mutt head and other ‘godmen’ who have been embroiled in sex abuse cases

Two minor girls alleged that they were sexually abused for years by the mutt chief. Despite being booked under the POSCO Act, the police were dragging their feet over the arrest. Political parties in Karnataka have been mum about the case and the delay in the investigation. But why?

Who is Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru?

The 64-year-old seer heads the Murugharajendra Mutt, one of the key Lingayat seminaries in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district. He was coronated pontiff of the mutt on 31 January 1991 and has been at the helm since.

Sharanaru’s “sober, sincere and spiritual attitudes” attracted the attention of Murugharajendra, who declared him his successor, says the website of Anatha Sevashrama Trust.

Before he became the chief, Sharanaru was a student at the mutt. Born on 11 April 1958 in a village called Godabanahal near Chitradurga, he completed his graduation from the University of Mysore.

Why is Sharanaru so influential?

The Murugharajendra Mutt is the most prominent of the nearly 3,000 Lingayat institutions in Karnataka. These seminaries offer free education and other services to those from backward, Dalit, and tribal communities.

The Lingayat is Karnataka’s single-largest community and comprises nearly 17 per cent of the population. It can influence the outcome of elections in around 90 to 100 of the state’s 224 assembly constituencies, according to a report in The Indian Express.

Several chief ministers from the state including the current CM Basavaraj Bommai and former CM BS Yediyurappa belong to the community. The latter is said to be close to Sharanaru.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently visited the Murugharajendra Mutt and was initiated into the Lingayat sect. Karnataka Congress chief DK Sivakumar said that former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were supporters of the mutt.

Political parties offer donations and financial aid to these mutts, and during elections expect the backing of its hundreds and thousands of followers.

Sharanaru’s support for Other Backward Class (OBC) status for the Lingayat community has made him important to politics in the state. He had also supported the movement for declaring the Lingayat faith as a separate religion from Hinduism when the Congress was in power between 2013 and 2018, reports The Indian Express.

What is the case against him?

Two girls, aged 15 and 16, studying at a school run by the mutt and staying in a hostel based in Chitradurga have accused Sharanaru of sexual assault. They alleged that they were abused between January 2019 and June 2022.

Apart from POCSO Act, the chief mutt has been booked under the law protecting Scheduled Castes and Tribes, as one of the survivors is a Dalit. Five others, including the warden of the hostel, are accused in the case.

A first information report (FIR) was filed on a complaint by an officer of the district child protection unit. The two girls reportedly approached a non-profit in Mysuru and narrated their ordeal. The NGO reached out to authorities in the unit and a police case was registered. It was shifted to Chitradurga, as the alleged crimes occurred there.

An earlier attempt to file a complaint in June-July was foiled after the Bengaluru police rang up the mutt authorities, reports NDTV.

Sharanaru was briefly detained by the police on Monday and released later. According to a top police officer, the chief mutt was trying to flee to Dubai via Hubli two days ago. He was stopped at Haveri and forced to return to the Chitradurga district. He was carrying a passport and other documents, reports News18.

The seer was arrested late Thursday after protests across Chitradurga and Mysuru. He was presented before the magistrate court which sent him to 14-day judicial custody.

What is the mutt head saying?

Breaking his silence, Sharanaru claimed the case was part of a long-drawn conspiracy against him. Indicating an “inside job", he vowed to come out clean, adding that he was law-abiding and would cooperate with the investigation.

“The conspiracies that were going on inside all these days are going on outside now. There will be a logical end to all issues, I need your cooperation in finding that logical end…I am confident about coming out clean… there is no need for anyone to be impatient,” he reportedly told his followers, reports News18.

Why did the arrest take so long?

It is mainly because of the political clout that Sharanaru wields.

Though CM Bommai announced that investigations would be conducted fairly and assured that “the truth will come out”, activists say that the government was seen to be going slow. “A POCSO case is registered and there is a kidnapping case as well. Police are investigating. In this situation, it would be inappropriate to comment. Police have full independence to investigate and the truth will come out,” Bommai had said.

Before the mutt chief was questioned by police, Yediyurappa said, “It is a false charge, there is no truth in it. After the completion of the investigation, he will come out clean.”

Congress’s Sivakumar described the seer as a “noble man”. Other Congress leaders including Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah have been silent on the issue. The priest had backed Siddaramaiah in 2005 when he quit the Janata Dal (Secular) and tried to launch his party. Siddaramaiah later joined Congress and became the chief minister of the state.

A senior police official told News18 before the arrest that since it was a sensitive case involving young children, investigators were proceeding carefully.

With inputs from agencies

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